Sabino Canyon, one of Tucson’s most cherished natural areas, is renowned for its rugged beauty and diverse wildlife. Among its inhabitants is the Gila Chub (Gila intermedia), a rare native fish species found primarily in this region and one that has faced significant challenges in recent years. In June 2020, a lightning strike ignited the…
Category: Animals/Wildlife
An Ecological Checkup for the Gulf of California
How does one do a checkup on a whole ecosystem? It takes a lot of doctors! Thirty-two, in the case of the latest Assessment of the Ecological Health of the Gulf of California, which finds that parts of the system are doing well, while others are hurting.
The Many Colors of Desert Museum Conservation
As our visitors quickly realize after spending a day at the Desert Museum, we are much more than a museum, or a zoo, or any one thing! Our diverse approach to education and conservation allows for a variety of ways for our community to engage in the work we do and deepen their understanding and…
Creating passage for wildlife across the U.S.-Mexico border
by Emily Burns, Ph.D | Sky Island Alliance Thanks to our community partners, Sky Island Alliance, for providing this guest blog for Desert Diaries. Support their border conservation work by following them on social media, volunteering, and donating! Standing at the foot of the border wall in southeast Arizona is intimidating. The wall rises 30…
Bees, Barcodes, and Biodiversity
Desert Museum Volunteers Build Barcode Reference Library of Native Bees By Kim Franklin Eight years ago I launched a small study of the native bee diversity in Las Mipiltas de Cottonwood, a small urban farm in Tucson, Arizona. With the help of a few intrepid volunteers, we began sampling bees every two weeks with pan…
Not a Pet
Thinking of having a wild animal as a pet? Think twice. As we mark the International Day for Biodiversity on May 22, one place we may not want too much biodiversity is among our pets! Demand for wild (or exotic) pets (which we’ll define as animals not usually kept and bred as pets) has been…
Building Your Desert Tortoise Garden
Plants for Desert Tortoise Food and Habitat Adopting a desert tortoise can be a dream that takes years to realize. Properly caring for a tortoise requires more than people understand and planning a habitat is not something many people feel comfortable with. While the process can be daunting, we’ll get you started with this guide!…
Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery: A Binational Effort
As evidenced by its common name, the Mexican gray wolf is native to northern Mexico, New Mexico, and our precious Sonoran Desert here in Southern Arizona. This subspecies is not only the rarest and most genetically distinct gray wolf in North America, but it is also under major threat. Once numbering in the thousands, conflicts…
Pop the champagne, it’s time for RAIN!
Herpetofauna awaken with the rainy season An Arizona summer is dry. It’s hot. There’s not a drop of moisture in the air. Life is seemingly absent at first glance as humans are indoors while the wildlife is underground or minimally active in cool shady hideouts. The desert is one of the harshest climates to live in,…
The Pollinator Party
National Pollinator Week, June 20-26, is a time to celebrate and BEE excited about the amazing work of pollinators! Join the festivities at our annual Party with Pollinators (Cool Summer Nights) evening this Saturday, June 25. We will have special pollinator themed activities and learning opportunities. Pollinator Week was developed to support pollinator health and…
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